Fullerton four trying to tinker into $20,000

FULLERTON – Four self-proclaimed tinkerers are taking their penchant to the grand stage: Brooklyn, New York.

The friends – who chip in to cover the rent of a Fullerton shop in an industrial complex, a play space for them – will compete in a 72-hour building competition, "Red Bull Creation."

Red Bull officials call the event the "ultimate hacker showdown," in which "sleep-deprived artisans will sweat their way to the finish."

For the competition, which begins July 10 at McCarren Park in Brooklyn, 16 four-person teams will invent something based on limited information from organizers.

This much is known: The creation will be 6-by-8-feet wide and 6 feet tall; teams will be given wrenches, hand and power tools and can bring up to 200 pounds of their own tools; competitors are also free to scavenge throughout the city for items to use for their invention.

More details will be given in the final minutes before the building begins, and the teams will live in RV's in the 35-acre park during the three days. Red Bull is picking up their tabs.

The winning team will receive $10,000 in cash and tools valued up to the same amount.

The Fullerton foursome, made up of longtime friends, like to tear stuff apart and build other stuff.

One of them, Dan Lozano, 40, a data analyst for a software company, figures competitors might be asked to build a vehicle: "We've made some very educated guesses based on what they told us."

"We were stressing out at first, but then we figured there are so many variables," said Kim Norman, 33, a college math instructor and team member. Her husband, John, 34, an information-technology specialist, is also on the team. "We will just have fun," she added.

To qualify, teams had to invent something with the theme, "Hack the past to recreate the future," and document the process in a video.

The Fullerton team built a working pipe organ – that doubled as a Red Bull can launcher – out of old plumbing and electronic parts. When played, the organ emitted "scary circus music" Kim Norman said. There were 25 submissions, and 16 won spots.